US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told CNN that the United States and Israel are “wrestling over what the theory of victory is” for Israel in Gaza, and that the United States does not believe the kind of complete victory that Israel says it is fighting for against Hamas. “It is likely to be, or it could be.”

"I think that sometimes when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they often talk about the idea of achieving some kind of overwhelming victory on the battlefield; complete victory, and we don't think that's likely or possible," Kamel said.

Campbell compared the situation in Gaza to the American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after the events of September 11, 2001, where fighting continued “after the civilian population was deported.”

“Ultimately, I think we see there has to be more of a political solution,” Campbell said.

For his part, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the United States believes that the Israeli operation in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza would be a mistake, and is working “urgently” to reach a ceasefire.

Sullivan told reporters that the White House is urging Israel to link its military operations to a "clear" end to Israel's ongoing war against Hamas.

The Biden administration has estimated that Israel has amassed enough forces on the outskirts of the Gaza city of Rafah to proceed with a large-scale incursion in the coming days, but senior US officials are currently unsure whether it has made a final decision to launch a large-scale attack in the coming days. Two senior administration officials told CNN that the United States carried out such a move in direct challenge to President Joe Biden.

One official also warned that Israel had not come close to making adequate preparations, including building food, hygiene and shelter infrastructure before potentially evacuating more than a million Gazans currently residing in Rafah.

If Israel continues a large-scale ground operation in Rafah, it will go against months of warnings by the United States to abandon a large-scale attack on the densely populated city.

Biden himself expressed this warning in his clearest terms yet last week, telling CNN's Erin Burnett that the US would withhold some additional arms shipments to Israel if it took such a step.

As the war enters its eighth month, American officials are increasingly questioning Israel's approach to the war, including publicly indicating that it is unlikely to achieve its stated goal of destroying Hamas and eliminating its leadership.